Many writers get caught up in the visual details when world-building and forget the other senses. Telling me about what a character is seeing is great, but what does the world smell like? Sound like?
Ask yourself: when reading, what details pull YOU into a world?
Imagine that you are reading a scene that takes place at night. Maybe it rained earlier, so the streets are slick and shiny in the moonlight. It’s late, so the buildings are tall and shadowed, with few lights on.
Now, sit with these visual elements for a moment and ponder what emotions you’re tying to this scene. Do you have expectations for what’s coming next?
How do those emotions and expectations change when we add other senses (and how do they change between these variations)?
a. The MC notices their skin is sticky from the summer humidity, smells the wet stone below their feet, and hears soft crickets.
b. The MC smells garbage, maybe rotten fish. From an alleyway they hear a yell, followed by a slam.
Obviously this is a basic example that we would flesh out further, but you should be able to recognize that as a reader your reaction to and expectations of this scene would be very different depending on which details were shared.
In setting a scene and in building a world with depth, especially in fantasy or sci-fi, you need to be paying attention to all senses, not just the visual.
As you revisit your draft, consider: what smells fill your world? Sounds? What foods do your characters enjoy?
What do you find important as a reader? As a writer?
Originally posted: November 4, 2022 | Updated May 8, 2025
